A WOULD-BE burglar tried to smash their way into a Swindon house while its owners slept upstairs, leaving one of his victims scared to be home alone.

Debs Brown, 57, and her husband were fast asleep at their Raybrook Crescent home when they were woken up in the middle of the night by a loud noise.

After investigating, they discovered an intruder trying to smash his way through their patio door with a garden slab. 

Police responded quickly after being called and said there had been other break-in attempts in the Rodbourne area. 

Debs said: "My husband and I were in bed fast asleep as we'd both decided to have an early night.

"My husband woke up and heard a bang so he went downstairs to find out what it was, by the time he’d got downstairs and heard another bang. That's when he saw a face at the window."

Debs explained she saw what was happening on her Ring doorbell - a man, roughly 5ft 8ins, in a hoody, tracksuit bottoms with a reflective strip on and cap, had smashed the patio door with a concrete slab from her own garden. 

"My husband got to the door and opened it which startled the guy so he started running off," she said. "If we weren't he would’ve gotten into the house.

"Our neighbour woke up because he heard it and then he saw the man running away with somebody on a push bike."

Debs said police were 'exceptional' in responding to the break-in attempt and were there in 10 minutes.

But the incident has had a lasting effect on her. 

"I suffer from Fibromyalgia and the stress of this has made that a lot worse," said Debs.

"I also don’t feel safe in my house. Until that back door is fixed it’s not going to be safe. When my husband’s at work if I’m inside I keep my doors locked and I never used to do that.

"We are now looking at getting CCTV."

Debs has had to claim for the patio door on her insurance, setting her back £200. She is now waiting for the replacement. 

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: "The suspect is described to be a man in his 20s, slim build and dressed in black and who rode off on a bicycle.

"Anyone with information is asked to call us on 101 quoting log 54220060399."